Folding lunch or other box



No. 625,227. Patanted m l6, I899.

.1. J. a E. r. WHITE.

FOLDING LUNCH OR OTHER. BOX.

(Application filed In. 24, 1899.)

(N0 Hpdel.)

NlTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN J. \VHITE AND EDMUND F. W'HITE, OF HOLYOKE, MASSACHUSETTS.

FOLDING LUNCH OR OTHER BOX.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 625,227, dated May 16, 1899. A lication filed March 24,1899. swarm. 710,333. (No model.)

To all whom it ntrty concern:

Be it known that we, JOHN J. \VHITE and EDMUND F. WHITE, citizens of the United Statesof America, and residents of Holyoke, in the county of Hampden and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Folding Lunch or other Boxes, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This'invention relates to improvements in folding boxes, the object of which is to produce a box which will efficiently serve as a folding lunch-box or folding receptacle for other purposes by the combination and arrangement of comparatively few parts, which by reason of the novel arrangements thereof are of extreme simplicity and cheapness, as well as durability.

The invention consists in a box constructed for the purposes and advantages all substantially as hereinafter described and explained and as set forth in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, in which the new and improved folding receptacle is illustrated.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the box as set up and in readiness to receive its contents. Fig. 2 is a horizontal cross-sectional view of the box' as taken on the line 2 2, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the box. Fig. 4 is a horizontal sectional view taken on about the same line of section as Fig. 2, but showing the parts as in their partiallyfolded-up or collapsed relations' Fig. 5 is a sectional view showing a minor feature of construction to be hereinafter referred to.

Similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all of the views.

In'the drawings, A A represent the rear and front sides of the box; 13 B, the ends of the box; 0, the cover, and D the bottom.

. The cover C is hinged at the upper edge of the rear side and has the flap or flexibly-connected section a to overlap the upper marginal outside portion of the front side of the box and is detachably connected thereto by the snap-catch device indicated at b,which advantageously may be any of the common or approved forms of pocket-book clasps.

The bottom D is hinge-connected to the lower edge of the rear side of the box, as indicated at (1, being freeand disconnected from the lower edges of the ends and front side of the box, so that, as indicated by the dotted line D in Fig. 3 and also as indicated in Fig.

,4, the bottom may be swung on its hinge-line d, so as to lie closely against theinner face of the rear side A of the box.

The bottom is supported against falling downwardly below the proper plane for such bottom by the supporting-tapes or like flexible appliances, the same being shown at ff, they having connection with the box at or near the upper edge of the front side A, but being loose-and disconnected from such front side below the upperedge portion thereof, and said tapes extend down across the forward edge of the hinged bottom D and are secured along their extended portion f to the under side of the bottom.

Each end B of the box is constructed in the two half-sections g g, scored on the median vertical line it or otherwise rendered capable of assuming angular relations the one to the other, said sections 9 9 being hinge-connected on the vertical corner-lines 1 i to the rear and front box sides A A The hinge connections for the various parts whichhave folding relations the one to the other are most practicably and satisfactorily constituted by the covering-cloth or other suitably strong material which is employed to impart a suitable finish to the exterior of the box, and such covering material is indicated in the sectional views by the letter j, it being understood that the stock from which the various sides and bottom and cover are constituted may consist in the greater part of comparatively stiif material, like cardboard or millboard.

When the box is empty, the bottom D may be swung'up inwardly against the rear side A, the supporting-tapes permitting, and the two-part end sections may be inwardly folded in the manner as rendered manifest in Fig. 4, the front A being collapsed closely to the back, and the cover and its flap are disposed closely against the outer side of the rear member A of the box.

In practice the dilferent portions of the box brought into the folded or collapsed relations stated occupy but slight space of thickness, so that the folded box may be carried in the pocket as readily as a pocket-bookor document-envelop. The top is provided with the handle m of an ordinary construction. The bottom might be hinge-connected to the lower front edge'of the box and the arrangement of the supporting-tapes reversed should it be so desired; but such manifest reversal of the parts would constitute no departure from this invention.

In Fig. 5 the bottom D is shown as located a short distance above the base edges of the sides and ends of the box, it being secured or hinge-connected by having the creased or scored stay-section m, which is glued or otherwise stuck to the inner face of the side A,

along the lower edge of the latter, the hinged point (1 being above the, bottom of the box, so that there will be no liability of the edges of the bottom being forced or deflected below the lower corners of the box to leave gaps or openings.

n represents a reinforcing-strip of cloth.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is I 1. The new and improved folding box herein described, the same consisting of opposite rear and front sides, box ends hinge-connected to the ends of the box sides and inwardly folding, the box-bottom hinge-connected at or near the lower edge of one of the box sides, and free from the other side, and from the ends, and adapted to be swung both downwardly across to the lower edge of the opposite side, and to be swung upwardly against the side to which it is hinged, and flexible bottom sustaining strips deriving support from the upper edge portion of that side of the box relative to which the bottom is free, and extending downwardly to, and having supporting connection with the free edge portion of the hinged bottom.

2. The new and improved folding lunchbox herein described, the same consisting of opposite rear and front sides A A box ends B B hinge-connected to the ends of the box sides, and adapted to be folded inwardly on their median vertical lines 72, the box-bottom D hinge-connected at or near the lower edge of one of the box sides, and free from the other side and from the ends, and adapted to be swung both downwardly across to the lower edge of the opposite side, and to be swung upwardly against the side to which it is hinged, the tapes f f fastened at the upper.

edge portion of the one box side and extending downwardly to, and having supporting connection with the adjacent free edge portion of the hinged bottom, the cover hingeconnected atthe upper end of one side and having the flap a, and a fastening device for temporarily connecting the flap to the box side overlapped thereby, substantially as described.

JOHN J. WHITE. EDMUND F. WHITE.

lVitnesses:

WM. S. BELLows, M. A. CAMPBELL. 

